The last Ottoman Sultan – Mehmed VI – was born in the extravagant Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul, located on the Bosphorus shores. Around 14,000 kilos of gold were spent just for gilding the ceilings of the palace.
On this day the Ottoman sultan Mehmed VI – the last who ruled the Ottoman Empire – was born. He was the 36th consecutive ruler of the Ottoman dynasty. The full title of Mehmed VI incorporated a large number of honorary titles, including the titles of Padishah (Persian term for emperor) and Khan of Khans, and he also had the elevated function of a Caliph of Islam (which signifies a successor/representative of Muhammad).
Interestingly, the mother of the last sultan was of Circassian nationality, originating from the vicinity of the Caucasus. Her name was Gülüstü and she died only three months after he was born. This birth took place in the famous Dolmabahçe Palace in Istanbul, located on the Bosphorus shores.
The name of this great palace means “filled garden” (dolma bahçe) in Turkish, which comes from the fact that the court of the palace was built by covering the Bosporus coast with soil, where a garden of sorts (a park) was initially arranged. This European-style palace was built by the father of Mehmed VI several years before the birth of his son. For its time, it was decorated with unseen extravagance – around 14,000 kilos of gold were spent just for gilding the ceilings of the palace. The palace also contains the largest Bohemian crystal chandelier in the world, and an unusual crystal staircase.
